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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347788">The Love Language of Exploding Snap</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gette/pseuds/Gette'>Gette</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Best Friends, Body Positivity, Childhood Trauma, Declarations Of Love, Enthusiastic Consent, Eventual Smut, Exploding Snap, F/M, Fashion &amp; Couture, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Good Slytherins, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Love, Mild Sexual Content, Pansy Parkinson is a Good Friend, Rare Pairings, Weddings, lots of fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:20:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,184</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347788</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gette/pseuds/Gette</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Name Change from Millicent Bulstrode Shines Bright. </p><p>Millicent Bulstrode is 28 and her friends on to new things. Draco is acting odd, Pansy wants her to be a plus sized model, Daphne and Blaise are getting married but Theo hasn't changed. A Theo/ Millicent Love Story. </p><p>Other minor background pairings: Draco/ Hermione, Blaise/Daphne.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daphne Greengrass/Blaise Zabini, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Millicent Bulstrode/Theodore Nott, Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Daphne's Bridal Shower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Greengrass House was one of the only homes that Millicent had been to that both amazed her with its grandeur and made her feel like it was indeed an actual home. The Nott manor was dark and despairing with many rooms in shambles and the Malfoy manor was too large for Millicent to see it as anything other than a giant white castle. She still had yet to step foot in Parkinson Place as Pansy had never invited any friends over to her childhood home. Millicent had grown up with her aunt Beatrice in a two bedroom flat with only her cat Toffee as a playmate. Whenever possible in Hogwarts she would keep her home life to herself. It was hard enough being a chubby half-blood in Slytherin with no parents without her housemates realizing her family was poor and that her parents had been murdered by Death Eaters shortly after she was born.</p><p>No, the Greengrass house was perfect. It was a four story home hidden on the edge of Hyde Park in London. The building was painted in various shades of cream and gold to show off the wealth of the family but the inside had something that she had not found in the family homes of many pureblood households: comfortable couches.</p><p>Oh to sit on a couch that wasn't stiff or from the 1600s was a luxury! Who wanted to worry about spilling wine on antique chaise lounges on a girls night? Not Millicent.</p><p>It was not just the comfortable couches that made the house feel like home but also the gracious and loving family that resided in it. A family who had twice over refused to take sides in the wars with Voldemort even though so many pureblood had fallen under the spell of his power.</p><p>Malachi and Estelle Greengrass were now in their early 60's and their kids had mostly moved out of the family home which meant that Estelle went into an excited flurry for events like today. There was no better excuse for extravagance and doting on her daughter than a bridal shower for her beautiful eldest daughter.</p><p>Malachi came to the UK at 20 years old from Avignon, France. He was a pale man with dark hair and a pleseant smile. Although he was already a wealthy pureblood, he didn't want to rely on family money alone and had secured a position as a curse breaker at Gringotts. It was at Gringotts that he met the lovely Vietnamese- American mathematician, Estelle Parker. Together they fell in love and created two beautiful pureblood girls, Daphne Greengrass (28) and Astoria Greengrass (26). Both girls had dark black long hair and easy smiles. Daphne had struggled with acne as a teen but Astorias skin had always been creamy and smooth. Daphne had been Millicents friend since the first day of Hogwarts when the two outgoing girls had shared a compartment on the train. Astoria was quieter than her sister, but would go out of her way to help other people. It astonished Millicent that Astoria hadn't been in Hufflepuff. Slytherin could be a cold place, even for pretty pureblood girls.</p><p>Millicent tugged on her yellow polka dot dress and white cardigan and made sure that her light brown hair was pushed over her shoulder before knocking on the heavy white door, a large pink present under her arm.</p><p>"Coming" a quite voice said from inside the house.</p><p>The door swung open to reveal Astoria in a white buttoned up sleeveless blouse and a navy and blue floral skirt. </p><p>"Welcome to Daphne's Bridal Shower!" she beamed and hugged Millicent.</p><p>"It's wonderful to see you Story! Beautiful skirt!" Millicent hummed as she broke out of the hug and was lead towards the main living room.</p><p>The sound of laughter became stronger as Astoria and Millicent made their way through the bright foyer.</p><p>"Millicent, you made it! I was getting worried! Daphne yelled as soon as they were in view.</p><p>"Its so great to see you, Daphne! The whole place is beautiful".</p><p>Estelle blushed with the praise of her decorating skills and Millicent felt the all too familiar pull of jealousy towards her perfect friend for having a mother and money and endless supplies of love. As soon as the jealousy creeped up, she stomped it out. She was happy for Daphne and Daphne was a wonderful friend. It wouldn't due to dwell on the differences.</p><p>There were about 10 women all sitting on comfy white couches  and oak chairs that had been arranged into a circle with Daphne sitting in a plush pink  wing back chair that Millicent recognized as belonging originally in Astorias upstairs bedroom. Daphne had never looked so beautiful as she did today. She was wearing a white lace applique dress and her hair was curled and pinned to one side making her look very elegant and every part a future Zabini wife. Her make up had been applied to perfection, no doubt by their mutual bully turned friend Pansy, who gestured Millicent to sit beside her on the last spot available in the room. As soon as Millicent sat, sinking into the suade couch, Pansy passed her a mimosa and said "I would have levitated this to you but I've already had a few and I don't want to make a splash too early in the morning". Pansy wore a pale pink dress and a large floppy black hat that screamed Dalkieth Womens Wear, her muggle friendly fashion line outside of Edinburgh.</p><p>Millicent snorted and almost spilled the glass anyway. " What, no wingardium Levi- mimosa?"</p><p>Pansy laughed a true and rare Pansy laugh before returning her attention to Daphne.</p><p> </p><p>Daphne stood up and welcomed everyone and then Astoria and Estelle began a host of games that left Millicent laughing and happier than she had been in a long time. Pansy laughed quite a bit as well and rolled her eyes when Millicent won a porcupine broach for guessing all of the things in Daphnes purse. </p><p>As they left, Millicent pinned her hedgehog broach on her cardigan and headed towards the door as Daphne walked her out. </p><p>"I cant wait for the wedding! Blaise has been so helpful in all of the planning. He comes over every night and has been so wonderful!" she giggled to her friend.</p><p>"Blaise is lucky to have you. I cant believe that you two have been dating for 10 years! I'm so happy for both of you. This was a wonderful day" Millicent smiled at her friend as she made to exit the Greengrass house.</p><p>"Theo said that you are still beating him regularly at exploding snap. Have you been hanging out with him lately?" Astoria questioned with a not quite innocent look on her face.</p><p>Millicent blushed. She was glad Theo was her friend after all these years but she wished her friends would stop trying to insinuate that her feelings could be returned by him. Her crush on him had been long burning and been hard to watch her friends find love when she was still so alone.  He wasn't interested in her, he would have said something be now.</p><p>"Bye, Daphne" she called over her shoulder as she pushed past Pansy and walked into Hyde Park to the apparition point. She could see Pansy trying to catch up to her but Pansy was too late. And then with a crack Millicent was at her own studio flat, in her single life with her cat Toffee. She picked Toffee up and let a tear fall. Just one, reminding her that she was alone and different from her friend.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Eeylops Owl Emporium</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Beep, beep, beep!!!!” </p><p>“Beep, beep, beep!!!” </p><p>Millicent groaned under her blanket and tried to hide from the next day. Maybe if she didn’t answer her alarm, she wouldn’t have to get up and go to work…</p><p>“Beep, beep, beep!!!” The noise from her alarm clock kept ringing with the volume increasing in intensity as though it was affronted by Millicent’s blatant disregard for it’s wake up message.</p><p>Millicent reached out and hit the off button on her alarm. The blissful quiet washed over her for a minute before she shot up in bed. Her oversized Puddlemere United T-shirt was askew and just about covered her short stretchy striped pajama shorts. They had been one of the only things that had fit her without magic from when Pansy first opened Dalkeith Women’s Wear. Her friends all fit in standard-sized womenswear but although Millicent is short, she is much rounder than her friends. </p><p>She had always struggled to find clothing when they went shopping until a couple of years ago when Pansy had bought her a gold plus-sized romper. At first, Millicent had been sensitive about the fact that Pansy had decided to buy her the larger size in something that she would never have picked on her own. The romper showed much more of her legs than she would normally put on display. Wizarding society was often quite conservative and Millicent normally preferred to stay covered up. Why be self-conscious and uncomfortable in something too short? Pansy had disagreed and begged her to try it on. Pansy pushed the envelope all the time. She told Millicent that she was beautiful and curvy and that she shouldn’t hideaway. This was a complete 180 to some of the comments Pansy had made to her in their youth.<br/>
Pansy had sat in her own maroon romper on Millicent’s bed and chanted “try it on”, “try it on” until Millicent had trudged reluctantly to the bathroom and shimmied out of her old clothes and into the romper. Millicent had faced away from the mirror and buttoned the glass buttons on the front of the top. She turned and looked in the mirror and smiled. She loved how she looked! There had been a squealing noise in the door as Pansy had decided she had waited long enough and had decided to come into the bathroom door to check out Millicent’s outfit. </p><p>“Millie, you look so gorgeous!” </p><p>“You think so?” Millicent had asked tugging at the bottom to try and make it longer.</p><p>“Yes, we are twins!” Pansy had cried, grabbing her hands and spinning with her. Pansy’s shoulder-length hair had spun straight out and the glee had been contagious.</p><p>They laughed and went to the park to take a stroll together. Just two single ladies, looking fabulous and living their lives unapologetically themselves. Confident and Sassy. Sweet and Sensitive.<br/>
At 14, Pansy had been a terror. Although she hadn’t directly said anything mean to Millicent to her face, Millicent had overheard her say a few mean comments about her and Daphne to others that she was trying to impress. Daphne and Millicent had forgiven her during their 7th year under the carrows when they found her crying because she didn’t have any friends. They had already worked out that her home life was not positive and they realized how alone Pansy had always been. Her only real friend up until that point had been Draco and he didn’t even seem that interested in her anymore. He had mainly just used her as someone to not be lonely with. Pansy had done the same. </p><p>Her back history with Pansy had led to her current sleeping shorts. When Pansy had started her business it only had a few clothing options and all were in standard sizes. It had hurt Millicent's feelings at the time but she hadn't said anything. She didn't need to. Pansy came to her the next day after the opening day and promised her that there would be plus sizes soon. For her first line, she had paired with another company who only did standard sizing but that she hoped to have her own designs in all sizes after she was done with that contract. Millicent had just blushed and brushed off Pansy's concern saying that she was fine. Millicent pretended she could fit in a few things while she watched Daphne try on copious amounts of beautiful ensembles. Luckily the pajama shorts had been stretchy enough for her to actually wear. Thank goodness for that. Pansy had been happy and told Millicent that she looked so casual and sweet in the shorts.</p><p>Today though was a Pansy free day. Millicent Peeled off her shorts and shirt and pulled on her lavender-colored dress and a navy colored cardigan with the word Eeylops embroidered in silver thread on the right breast.  She grabbed her flats and her purse and ran out the door, whispering the muggle repelling charm that she reset daily since her flat wasn’t in a wizarding area. </p><p>“Hello Sweetie. Your uniform is always so sweet.” her neighbor Eugenie croaked at her while she watered the plants at the entrance to the plants!</p><p>“Good Morning Eugenie! Thank you, you’re so kind!” Millicent called! “I’ve got to go, but those tulips look beautiful!”</p><p>“Thanks Darling” Eugenie responded, pushing her gray hair back into her bun and brushing the dirt from her hands off on her long skirt. It was nice to have such a kind caretaker around. Talking to Eugenie always made Millicent smile.</p><p>After a few minutes, she reached the apparition point six blocks away and landed with a crack in Diagon Alley. It was 8:50 AM and her shift at Eeylops Owl Emporium as a teller was about to begin. Adelaide and Igor Eeylop had opened the shop in the ’60s as the premier place to sell owls in all of Wizarding London. By the time Millicent had gone to school, they had branched out to also selling a few species of toads and cats. If you were a kid in need of a Hogwarts approved pet, Eeylops was the place to go. Millicent had always taken a shining to the shop as she had always loved her cats. When all else failed, your pet was there for you. Millicent as an 11-year-old had spent quite a bit of time picking out her tabby cat Toffee. Toffee had been her first real friend in the wizarding world, beating Daphne by a month. </p><p>Adelaide and Igor now only came down a few times a week from their flat above the shop and Millicent and another one of her classmates, Cormac McLaggen, took turns running the day to day facets of the shop. Millicent unlocked the front door and began the task of feeding all of the animals. She peered into the cages and cooed at the barn owls closest to the door before moving the owls to their cages and perches outside of the cramped shop. Every day she made sure that she spent time with each animal throughout the day. </p><p>Millicent’s shift was always from 9:00-2:30 Monday- Saturday except for the occasional day she took off. Cormac was a partier and took the position a lot less seriously. He slept in every day and took the evening shifts with them overlapping for an hour in the middle of the day. He worked 1:30-8:00 Monday- Saturday. The shop was closed on Sunday which was in Millicent’s opinion, absolutely wonderful. It did mean that the animals were extra excited to see her on Mondays.</p><p>The day went on slowly as Millicent spent the beautiful April day in the dark shop helping people find a familiar that would bring them joy and filling out expense reports for new cages, bedding, and treats for the animals. Millicent loved every minute of her job. The smell of the owls and the dark atmosphere were slightly less than ideal but Millicent had added little fairy lights to shine around the shop and always made sure that the shop was clean and tidy to honor the name of Eeylops. Her customer service was top notch and she was beloved by her young and older customers alike. </p><p>Around 1:00, Hermione Granger came into the shop. She was wearing muggle jeans and a jumper with an H on it. Her hair was pulled into a curly, humid, wild ponytail. Millicent jumped out from behind the counter when she heard the door chime.<br/>
“Welcome to Eeylops, if you have your eye on a new furry, feathery or ribbity friend, we’ve got what you are looking for!” Millicent sang as she came face to face with Hermione Granger. Millicent’s cheeks blushed, this wasn’t a 10 year old, this was the brightest witch of their age, a war heroine.</p><p>Millicent started to search for something to say but Hermione beat her to the punch, “Hello, Millicent right?” Hermione asked with a genuine smile on her face.</p><p>“Yes, that’s me. It’s nice to see you again Hermione. What can I help you with today?” Millicent responded politely.</p><p>“I’m looking for a harness for my cat. She’s been acting a little strange lately and I would like to try taking her on walks.” she paused and looked at Millicent as though waiting to see if Millicent would judge her for wanting to walk her cat. When Millicent just smiled at her, Hermione took a breath and continued on “My cat, Crookshanks, is very important to me. Crooks has always been there for me so I feel like I can try to spoil him every once in a while”.</p><p>“Yes, I totally understand, I’ve had my cat, Toffee for almost 17 years! I know that she must be in her last days but she’s so important to me that I feel like spoiling her all the time. A harness would be a great addition to Crookshanks life and if he doesn’t like it, you can return it within a month for half price. Follow me over to these back shelves”.</p><p>Millicent led Hermione over to the 3 cat harness options: Pink, Yellow, and Gray- all with reflective magic threads sewn in to provide top levels of safety and fashion for the cats. Millicent was secretly glad that she had pushed for more cat products last year. Not everyone has an owl! So people need to spoil their purrfect friends! Okay fine, so her and Hermione had been the only ones in the last year that had expressed interest in the cat harnesses but you can’t win them all and having what Hermione Granger was looking for did bring her a sense of pride.</p><p>Hermione picked out a gray harness with orange reflective strips (“to match Crookshanks”) and headed to the counter just as the door chimed. </p><p>“Granger, Bulstrode- fancy seeing you here” a voice drawled from the doorway as Draco Malfoy walked up to the counter to lean next to Hermione. </p><p>Hermione scowled at him and visibly moved the cat harness out of his eyesight on the table. “Malfoy” she scowled at him. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>He looked at her with a smirk, ignoring his old housemate Millicent, and zeroing in on Hermione. </p><p>He ignored her question and instead watched her hand that was covering the harness and grinned “What do you have there granger? Has that monster of a cat been acting up? Are you finally coming to your senses and buying it a restraint system to keep its claws at bay? It scratched me pretty bad that one time at Potters. I haven’t forgotten about that beast! Your hair is looking especially large today, you might need a harness to take that hairstyle as well”. </p><p>His face looked stony and disapproving but Millicent had spent enough time with him to know that he was lying. He probably didn’t care about whatever had happened with that cat and was instead just happy to rile up Hermione. He just couldn’t leave her alone. He mentioned her hair almost every time he saw her, Millicent and Theo had always laughed and wondered if Draco secretly loved Hermione’s hair. </p><p>“It’s a harness, Malfoy! Not that it’s any of your business and Crookshanks is a great cat! It would do you some good to have a pet. Someone to love and someone to love you back. It could teach you a thing or two that you might not have received growing up!” she spat. As soon as the words were out, Hermione’s eyes went wide and she looked like she hadn’t meant to go that far. </p><p>Draco was staring at the ground looking dejected. A very rare feat and one that Millicent suspected Hermione alone was able to accomplish with such ease. He had a rough few years after Hogwarts and although he still was in good graces with his mom, his father was spending a life sentence in Azkaban and there was no love lost between them. Draco had served two years in Azkaban before his trial. At his trial he was acquitted due to his young age, the threat on his family and a few times where he had helped tip the scales against the dark lord. Mainly he had not identified Harry, Ron and Hermione when they were brought by snatchers to the manor and during the final battle, he had stunned a death eater that had Hermione trapped. She was able to escape and readily testified on his behalf. Millicent stared at Draco, wondering what was going through his head. He was by most accounts, quite a loner these days. He only really talked to Blaise, Theo and Harry (his coworker now in the Auror department).</p><p>Hermione glanced between Millicent and Draco with a look of Panic. Draco still looked at his shoes. “I’m sorry” Hermione muttered and pushed past him and out of the store with the harness still in her hand.<br/>
Millicent started to move past Draco to find Hermione and remind her to pay before she got too far down Diagon Alley but Draco put out his arm to block her.</p><p>“Move Draco, you fucked things up. Can’t you just be nice to her? She’s really not so bad. I’m sorry for what she said to you but come on! We're not in school anymore, can’t you just be kind to her!” Millicent huffed at the pale blond man in front of her. </p><p>His cheeks were pink as he looked up and said “What was so bad about what I was saying? I was just messing with her?”</p><p>“Well maybe she doesn’t want to be messed about by you. Did you ever think that years of being bullied by you might lead her to feel less than favorable to you when you tease her? She doesn’t know you well enough to know when you are teasing maliciously or just to have something to say”.</p><p>Draco looked at her and then he said, “I’m really sorry that I wasn’t always as nice to you as you deserved at school. You and Granger both deserved better. I will try to be kinder to her”. </p><p>She looked up at Draco and saw that he looked embarrassed. She opened her mouth to say that it was okay when he threw 20 galleons on the table and said “For Crookshanks’ harness and buy one for Toffee too. It’s ridiculous that you both have cats that old. You must have really taken good care of them.” and with that he left the shop.</p><p>And that’s how Toffee ended up with a yellow harness. Toffee didn’t approve.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Exploding Snap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Damn it Theo!" she screamed as a manticore card he had just laid caused her bowtruckle card to explode in what was now Theo's fifth win in a row today.  </p><p>It was a week after Daphnes Bridal Shower and Theo had invited her over to play cards, something they did fairly regularly. Theo had already peppered her with questions about the bridal shower. His patience for all of the details never cease to amaze her. He never seemed to get bored of hearing Millicents stories and Millicent quite enjoyed it. They spent a good deal of time gossiping about the run in between Draco and Hermione at Eeylops. Theo was convinced that Draco , who had only since Hogwarts ended, been someone they enjoyed spending time with, was in love with Hermione. Millicent wasn't so sure but Theos wild theories about Dracos secret longings had them both in fits of laughter. To be honest, neither Millicent or Theo ever laughed as much as when they were with eachother.</p><p>Theo laughed as the smoke from the small explosion cleared to leave Millicent and him sitting cross legged on the wooden floor of his expensive loft in Godrics Hollow. As an unspoken rule, when alone, the pair would always sit on the floor together like they did by the fire in the Slytherin Dungeons. It was one of the things that had connected them early on in their friendship and now they did it out of pure nostalgia.</p><p>Seats in the slytherin dungeons had been a political and social battle that neither had found particularly necessary to fight for. </p><p>In third year when Millicent had sat down by Theo in front of the roaring fire and asked him if he would like to play snap with her and Daphne, she had expected him to say no. All indications at that point had showed that Theo preferred to be left alone. The brown haired boy ate meals near people but not really with them except to talk with Blaise Zabini or to answer a direct question. Notably he had refused to be part of Draco's gang of friends despite their father's having close connections. Millicent silently approved although she was still cautious around him as it was rumored that his aging dad was a staunch pureblood aristocrat with a pension for the dark arts. She didn't want to believe that he was truly a blood purist but in slytherin it was hard to tell what her classmates truly thought. </p><p>Thirteen year old Theo had just returned from Christmas break sporting a bruised cheek and looking more alone than ever. There were rumors that his dad had become drunk again and hit him. Later she had learned that it was true and not an isolated incident. </p><p>Teenaged Millicent had paused and waited for him to respond to her offer with a tenuous smile. Theo thought that as usual she looked angelic and sweet. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun and she was sporting her baggy school uniform despite the late hour. She didn't have a lot of wizarding clothes and preferred to just stay in her uniform as much as possible at school. Her muggle denims and sweat pants that she enjoyed wearing when on break with her aunt were never packed in her Hogwarts truck so as not to bring attention to her half blood heritage and her essentially non- magical upbringing. She was so eager and looked so kind that Theo had agreed. Together with Daphne they had started that first quiet game of exploding snap. The fire crackling behind them and the rugged floor developing peculiar burn marks that Theo cleverly fixed with a shy smile before they went there seperate ways to bed.</p><p> As they got older, Theo and Millicent would always seek each other out to a play a game together when words weren't enough or they felt like they needed an excuse to see each other. Sometimes Daphne or Blaise or even Draco and Pansy would join but it was often just Theo and Millicent. The sounds of explosions, conversations and laughter drifting between them in an unspoken agreement of friendship.</p><p>Millicents face was now covered in soot and her scowl was quickly dissolving into laughter. </p><p>"Millie, If you can't take the heat, get out of the floo!" Theo teased as he leaned back to lay on the floor. His tight navy cashmere jumper pulling up slightly to show a hint of fine hair trailing down his inch of exposed stomach. Millicents stomach flipped. She had seen him a few times at the Greengrass' pool 
but this seemed different. Secretive. Off limits. Arousing. </p><p>"Theo, that is not the saying!" She wheezed as she collapsed on the floor next to him. Her long sleeve shirt had a moose with glasses on it and it stayed perfectly in place. Millicent tried to file away the glimpse of his stomach and the fact that they were laying on the floor alone together for later. It wouldn't due to start blushing and make things weird. So what if she was helplessly attracted to his shaggy hair, lopsided smiles, and winning personality? Their friendship was more important than her lust.</p><p>Millicent turned on her side to face the freckled man next to her. "How do you know I didn't let your sorry ass win?"</p><p>He smiled and shifted onto his side to face her. His hand tugging down his jumper as his cheeks tinged pink. "Millie, you and I have been playing exploding snap for, oh what, 15 years… and I haven't known you to ever let me win. You might be the most rule following slytherin I have ever known!"</p><p>"Yeah, what was the sorting hat thinking! A poor half blood who follows the rules, thrown into the snake pit!" Millicent joked half serious, messing with her hair as she talked.</p><p>He looked at her studying her face to gauge how serious she was. Theo himself often wondered how such a kind hearted girl had ended up in his house but he was so glad that she had. 

He arched a brow and proclaimed, "But Millicent May Bullstrode, what would we have done without you keeping us snakes in line? You were needed in that pit!"</p><p>Millicent smirked a very slytherin smirk and replied "But did I really keep anyone in line other than the beautiful sweetheart that is Daphne Greengrass? She probably would have just kept herself in line even if I wasn't there!"</p><p>"Okay fine, so you didn't keep anyone in line but you do look excellent in green!" </p><p>The blush from earlier could no longer be held back at that comment and her cheeks filled with a rosy glow. They lay there looking at each other in his living room, 10 feet away from a perfectly lovely couch that she had helped him pick out when he had first got his own place.</p><p> Too many moments passed and then Theo made a throat clearing noise and adjusted the bottom of his jumper or the top of his slacks, she didn't trust herself to look after his compliment although she desperately wanted to.<br/>
Theo sat up and Millie followed his lead. He looked at her, his cheeks back to pink as he toussled the back of his hair with his hand.</p><p>"Would you like to play another round?" he asked already tapping his wand on the worn self shuffling deck. His eyes focused on the playing cards. A vulnerability was etched into his voice and Millie got the impression that whatever had just happened had been elaborated on by her wild imagination. She swallowed her disappointment. He probably thought everyone looked good in green. It wasn't really a compliment for her specifically.</p><p>"Of course, deal em up Theo…. If you think you can handle it" Millie said forcing a grin that she hoped look easy going.</p><p>"Oh I can handle it" he winked.</p><p>And so they played. Just two kids turned adults playing cards but the cards meant more than just a simple game. Millie won the next round and they settled in for lasagne and all was well.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. New Opportunities</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first day of May had brought with it an unyielding storm. It was a slow Saturday at Eeylops and Millicent rushed to bring all of the Owl’s inside of the already crowded shop. As a lover of animals, Millicent sometimes had moments of disappointment regarding the condition that animals were subjected to at Eeylops. While the animals were never mistreated and were kept in spotless cages, they didn’t have very much room to run around. </p><p>Although Millicent knew that very few pet shops were able to provide copious amounts of space for animals, she still wished that the Eeylop family had chosen a larger shop when they had set up decades ago. The current space was just too confining, especially for the cats and owls who naturally would have enjoyed a larger territory to explore and play in. The Toads were fine. </p><p>She unhooked the cages from their outdoor stands and pulled them into the shop until there was just enough room for her to walk back to her own perch on a red stool behind the cash register. Millicent sighed, her exhale mixing with the sounds of cooing and croaks in the crowded shop. No one was going to come in today. </p><p>The stairs at the back of the shop creaked signaling that one of the Eeylops was coming down to check on the shop. It had been a while since this had happened and Millicent prayed that they would let her stay through the next couple of hours of her shift despite the slow foot traffic. She was one installment away from paying off her bridesmaid dress at Pennington’s Formal Wear and it would pain her to have to ask one of her friends to borrow her the money needed to pay off the balance. Images of pitying looks danced through her head as she imagined Pansy and Daphne realizing just how day to day her finances really were. Pansy had been able to pay the 30 galleon dress immediately but Millicent had asked for the three payment installment plan once it was just her and the clerk. </p><p>No, if she had to ask for money, she would ask Theo for a loan. He wouldn’t bat an eye and might actually let her pay it back if she begged. He looked at things very practically and seemed to despise having his family money all to himself. He had already donated nearly half of the Nott fortune to the rebuilding of Hogwarts and the creation of a child protective services division in the ministry. He currently worked at a small apothecary as a brewer of medicinal potions for exclusive use by St. Mungos. His mother had died when he was seven of a strange unknown curse and since his days at Hogwarts he had known that he wanted to work in some way to support experiential medicine.</p><p>The sound of shuffling intensified as Igor slowly made his way with his cane through the various cages from the door in the back of the shop that hid the staircase to the Eeylops flat. She bit back a grin at his attire.</p><p>“Miss Bulstrode! I’m sure that the ducks are enjoying this weather. Humans not so much.” he said smiling and pointing his cane in shaky movements towards the window. The rain was now coming down at a slant. </p><p>“If only we sold Ducks here, we could have them on full display. Forget about Owls, ducks are where it’s at” Millicent joked smiling at the friendly bald man in a robe of patched and worn fuchsia velvet. An eccentric choice that made Millicent wonder if the purple and lavender colors of Eeylops had been his choice and not his wife's as she had originally thought when she took the position.</p><p>“Right you are, Miss Bulstrode. As always!” Igor smiled jovially and worked his way around a Persian Ragdoll Cat. He stopped to pet the cat and then continued on towards Millicent at an unsteady and shaky canter. Millicent jumped out from behind the front counter and ran to his side to take his arm as he tripped over a Barn Owl’s cage causing a raucous hooting noise and a groan from the proprietor.</p><p>“Careful Mr. Eyelop. I am so sorry that there were cages in your way. I brought all of the animals inside due to the storm but I didn’t want to bring the owls back to the roosting room in case a customer was interested.”</p><p>“Good sound thinking, young lady” Igor smiled and continued his way to the window bench at the front of the shop where he seemed quite happy to sit down. Knowing that the man was unlikely to fall again and seemed to have not hurt himself, Millicent moved back to her stool to face her boss.</p><p>“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Igor continued. His robes pulled tight around him and his pointed shoes now visible under the hemline. “You have worked at Eeylops for ten years and you have brought it back from the brink of closing”. Millicent made a noise and started to interrupt him to say that it wasn’t all her when he held up a hand and continued, “When we had to shut our other locations due to finances and our abilities, we moved all of our animals here to diagon alley and hoped that we would be able to stay afloat and keep our home and business going. The shop was so crowded but our customers outside of the school rush were dwindling. You were the answers to our prayers. Yes, young Mr. McLaggen helped, but it was really you. He has never been as invested in the animals as you have been. You have managed all of the inventory and created a great customer service experience for almost a decade. You breathed life back into this place”.</p><p>Millicent blushed and felt her heart speed up. Something seemed different about the way he was complimenting her work. There seemed to be an air of past tense to the things he was saying. Was something ending? Was the shop closing? Was she about to be out of a job? Should she have not let Draco purchase a harness for her cat? He hadn’t given her exact change that day, so she had taken a galleon as a tip. Damn it, why hadn’t she thought that was unethical? Where would she work? Thunder clapped outside. </p><p>“Thank you sir, that’s very kind. I have been so thankful for this job and it has brought me so much joy” she responded searching his face for clues to where this conversation was headed.<br/>
He looked back at her and said “Adelaide and I have been looking over our finances and the store has been doing so much better for the last few years that we believe that we may be able to expand our business again and provide a better life for these wonderful animals”. He pointed to a rather large and unappealing looking toad as though to prove the beauty.</p><p>“How wonderful! That’s such great news! I am so happy for you both!” Millicent responded, a smile blooming on her face. Her normally straight hair, escaping her ponytail and frizzing with the humidity of the cramped shop.</p><p>Igor looked at the hard-working girl, no woman, he corrected himself and wondered if Millicent knew how much Adelaide and himself were truly indebted to her. He reached into a pocket on his robe and came up with an envelope. He passed it to Millicent with a tremble in his knotted fingers. </p><p>“I know it’s risky for us to be taking on new things in our old age but Adelaide and I will begin looking for a new location to purchase with more land in the countryside. We hope to have the larger location house the animals and then keep the Diagon Alley location for all of the pet supplies. We could then bring in a few different animals to the shop at a time and have the rest available for purchase at the larger location. I hope that you are in favor of this idea because we would like to promote you to oversee the operation. We would pay you 5 galleons more per hour and we could hire a few people part-time to help out in addition to the work Mr. McLaggen is already doing. Think about it and let us know. In the meantime, please accept this bonus check for all of the hard work you have done for our family business”. A tear rolled down his wrinkled cheek as he ended his speech.</p><p>Millicent felt her own handshake as she reached out to accept the bonus check. This plan was everything she had ever wanted and the increase in pay, although small to some was significant to her. It would mean that she could add to her savings and afford things more easily. </p><p>Without looking at the check amount she looked at Igor and pronounced, “Nothing would bring me more joy than to accept your generous offer. Eeylops Owl Emporium means the world to me and I am so thankful for your kindness. Let me know what I can do to help. I am overjoyed to accept this promotion and I thank you so much for this bonus check. I really don’t know what to say other than I can’t wait to begin planning!” Millicent and Igor shared a smile and then shook hands.</p><p>Igor looked unsure what to say so he cleared his throat and pronounced, “Off with you, you can end a little early today and pop over to Gringotts to deposit that check. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, I will close things up”. </p><p>The look he gave her didn’t leave much room for discussion and Millicent knew that his pride would not take well to her helping him with closing the shop for the day. At least the animals were already inside. As she left, she gave Igor a hug and subtly moved two cages out of the way to ensure his tripping risks were diminished. Gringotts was calling her name.</p><p>Millicent strolled down the street after transfiguring her navy Eeylops cardigan into an umbrella with two sleeves hanging off the top. She had always been terrible at transfiguration and she laughed at her attempt. She couldn’t be bothered to feel stupid, it was such a wonderful day. Perhaps she would see Draco and Harry as they worked security at Gringotts. </p><p>Sure enough as she climbed the marble steps she saw that her blonde Auror friend was standing near his work partner, Harry Potter, as they watched over the lobby of Gringotts. Since there had been very little violent crime in the last few years and there had been a surge of people entering the Auror profession in a hope to vanquish any loose death eaters and become closer to the boy who lived, new rotations had been put in place to provide security to top landmarks. In other words, their jobs had become much more boring.</p><p>“Good Morning, Millicent. That’s quite the umbrella.” Draco called as he reached out to hold the door for her. He was wearing a Navy MDD (Ministry Department of Defense) Auror jacket that made Millicent choke back a laugh. He looked handsome, of course, but standing next to Harry Potter in matching navy jackets was always a sight to behold. The dark-haired man next to Draco, smirked, no doubt the sight of Millicent’s unusual umbrella paired with the amusement of having Draco Malfoy wearing matching clothes to himself, was not lost on him.</p><p>“Hello Draco, Hello Harry. Love the jackets.” Millicent replied with a wink that reminded her of the man she was teasing. </p><p>Draco frowned. The Diva.</p><p>“I wouldn’t have expected to see you here on a Saturday morning” Draco countered, ignoring her comment on his outerwear. “Aren’t you supposed to be at Eeylops for your Saturday shift?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow and genuine interest. He had heard Theo bemoan Millicent's Saturday schedule many times. At some point he had felt like he had memorized it and Draco personally felt like he had no business knowing so much information about Eeylops Owl Emporium. Draco appreciated Millicent’s friendship, it had taken him quite a while to earn, but he didn’t care to track her every move. Theo was almost as bad as himself. He wondered if Theo was able to recount all of the details to Hermione's new piece of legislation regarding the re-distribution of dragon eggs back to natural habitats. He probably could. Draco blushed and returned his attention to the woman in front of him.</p><p>“I had some good news today. I was promoted and I was given the day off so I am going to deposit a check and then I should be able join Pansy and Daphne for lunch!” Millicent shared shaking off the umbrella. Water flying off the arms and onto the marble floors.</p><p>“Excellent news Millicent,” Harry said, flicking his wand at the floors to dry the marble before drying her monstrosity of an umbrella. </p><p>Draco nodded and smiled. “Yes, that’s great. Excellent” he parroted.</p><p>---</p><p>Within 30 minutes, Millicent had deposited her bonus check into her account. It had been 50 galleons! A large enough sum to pay off her last installment on her bridesmaid's dress which she had done immediately through the bank's transfer system. A huge weight lifted off her chest. She wouldn’t have to ask anyone for money. No pitying looks would be sent her way.</p><p>Despite working at Eeylops, Millicent didn’t own an owl herself. She preferred floo calls from her apartment to her friends over waiting for an Owl to fly somewhere and return. It just wasn’t very efficient. Toffee had been enough for her so she had always either used friends owls to respond to letters, or sent a shared owl through one of the many owl sharing services in Diagon Alley. Gringotts had one attached to the bank so she sent Daphne a letter saying she was on her way to the Darling Gnome to join her and Pansy for lunch.</p><p>After saying her goodbyes to Draco and Harry, she left the marble building and out into the cloudy day. The rain had begun to let up so Millicent’s umbrella wasn’t needed. She walked under awnings to avoid the light drizzle and made her way down to the custard colored entryway of the Darling Gnome. With a click of the door, she entered inside and brushed off her purple dress, now cold without her cardigan. Millicent rubbed her arms and looked around. Near the side of the room, she spotted her friends. </p><p>“Millie! I’m so glad that you could make it!” Daphne yelled, breaking her pureblood etiquette facade as she stood up in her mint colored dress pants and flowered blouse to pull her friend into the booth.</p><p>Millicent landed in the booth with a thud and looked across to find Pansy in a red vintage muggle t-shirt that looked so effortlessly cool. Millicent never felt like she looked as self-assured as Pansy looked in muggle streetwear but then again, Millicent would have never thought to pair a coca-cola t-shirt and a black skirt with a vintage red hat and a curled bob. No that was a Pansy Parkinson, type of move. Very fashion forward and slightly impractical.</p><p>“It’s about time you took a Saturday off!” Pansy smiled at Millicent. She was looking at her closely and waiting for an explanation as Millicent had originally declined this outing in lieu of work.<br/>
Millicent began recounting her day. Her friends cheered at the bonus check and congratulated her on her promotion. </p><p>They ordered food and as Millicent began to cut into her salmon, Pansy declared, “ I also have some good news to share”.</p><p>Her voice was proud and Pansy looked more bubbly than Millicent had ever seen her be in public. Millicent and Daphne stopped eating and placed their utensils down on the edge of the plates to give her their full attention.</p><p>“ As you know, I have been saving money for the last couple of years to invest in my own personal clothing line at Dalkeith Womenswear. It’s been great to partner with other designers but I have been wanting to showcase my own everyday designs in a variety of sizing for both muggles and witches. I just heard yesterday that my idea for my line, “Pretty Practical” has been approved!” Pansy’s face was lit up in the most exquisite smile Millicent had ever seen. Theo, Blaise, and Millicent had all laughed when they had learned that Pansy wanted the word "practical" to be associated with her designs last year when she started talking about naming her new design collection. Practicality wasn't usually Pansy's main interest. Daphne had just grinned into her wine.</p><p>“Oh my gosh! Congratulations! I can’t wait to try on your designs! You are so talented!” Daphne squealed, standing up to hug Pansy over the booth.</p><p>Pansy blushed and hugged her back but her eyes stayed on Millicent. Millicent looked back at Pansy shocked. Pansy had promised her that her designs would be available in her size and she had delivered that promise. For once, Millicent would be able to wear the exact same designer clothes off the rack as her friends without having to use magic to significantly alter the design or opt for a more subdued plus sized option from a neighboring store. Magic stretched material but there was always a telling indicator that something had been changed. At least there always was at Millicent’s price point. Millicent watched as the scene became fuzzy, she reached her arm up and wiped away the wetness that was forming near her eyes. </p><p>“Pansy” she whispered, her voice gaining volume until it was at a normal level. The surprise filled her even though she knew that it was wrong to have expected anything less of Pansy. “You truly are a wonderful friend. I can’t wait to wear some of your designs! Congratulations! This means a lot to me”. Millicent smiled. </p><p>Pansy stood up and looked expectantly at her uniformed friend across the booth. “Well… when do I get my hug, Millicent Bulstrode?” Pansy smirked.</p><p>Millicent laughed and stood up to match Pansy's short height. She reached over and hugged Pansy tightly. The smell of Lilac clinging to her curls.</p><p>“Oh, and I would like you two to be my models in a couple of weeks at the Del Monte fashion show! My clothes are set to have 10 minutes at the show! Just enough time for a handful of models!” Pansy crooned.<br/>
Daphne and Millicent turned to look at each other mirroring the others' expression of panic. </p><p>“Pansy…” they both started in.</p><p>“No, I don’t want to hear it. You are both too beautiful for the sidelines and I won’t hear of it. I’m also going to ask Ginny Weasley as I hear that she was recently signed to the Chudley Cannons. It should be great publicity!” Pansy said cutting into her shrimp scampi with a delicate finality.</p><p>Millicent rolled her eyes and they let the subject drop. Pansy had a lot of wild ideas, perhaps she would forget about this one. </p><p>Daphne looked like she had lost her appetite. A crouton danced around her plate as her fork created circles in the vinaigrette.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for taking the time to read the first few chapters! I appreciate you all and hope that you are having a great day! Thanks!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Slug Repellent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blaise Zabini had been a stuck up rich kid with unknown blood lineage. He still sort of was. He was definitely still rich but he smiles more now than when he first started dating Daphne in 7th year. He's actually almost a farmer. Well, the type of farmer that wears crush velvet black blazers and striped black and silver pants and hires out most of the work. </p><p>He avoids getting dirty and struts around Italy and France drinking wine and walking through his various vineyards examining grapes. His family has always owned vineyards in Italy but his mother was always more interested in men than anything else. Disgraced wealthy pureblood socialite, Esme Zabini now lives in Greece, having been cleared of her charges of aiding and abetting her 5th husband of 3 months, Darrian Edgar, before he was killed in the battle of Hogwarts attacking the school with the rest of the Death Eaters. Blaise just pretends that his mother skipped from her 4th to 6th marriage. She's now on her 8th.</p><p>Blaise himself had two homes, a loft in Soho that he shared with Daphne and a family manor in the Italian countryside surrounded by rolling vineyards that were managed by staff in their absence. Daphne was learning to be a sommelier and they would visit the Italian manor a few times a month during the offseason and most of the summer. It was where their wedding was to take place but that wasn't why Millicent found herself in muggle jeans and a pink sleeveless top standing in a vineyard in early May. </p><p>"...and you see that is why grub repellent is so important in preserving the longevity of the vine" Neville stated kneeling at the base of a grapevine, spreading earwax colored paste at the base of the vines while Pansy held the branches of the vine back with a look that indicated that the strange metallic smell was coming from the grub repellent.</p><p>"Wonderful Neville! Blaise has always said that your grub repellents and fertilizing compounds are the reason why the Zabini wine has been so successful!" Daphne praised him. Her black dress looking out of place in the field but not next to her fiance. Neville's hands were now coated in the repellent and some had already ended up on his navy t-shirt.</p><p>"Would you like me to cast Augmenti for you so that you don't get the repellant on your clothes, Neville?" Astoria asked helpfully.</p><p>"Oh yes. That would be nice" he said looking down at his hands as though surprised the foul-smelling substance was still there. He rinsed his hands as water streamed gently from Astoria's wand. Astoria pocketed the wand in a previously unseen pocket of her blue capris.</p><p>Pansy looked annoyed and was trying to push her way through the vines back to them in a striped sleeveless jumper. By the time she reached the other side she looked comically disheveled. A leaf was in her hair and one of her sandals was muddy.</p><p>Blaise choked back a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Pansy glared at him as Theo and Millicent caught eyes in silent laughter.</p><p>Pansy muttered something and cast a scourgify on her shoe.</p><p>"Thanks Pansy. Sorry that your shoe got dirty. I guess that can happen in the great outdoors." Neville said jovially as he took in her appearance.</p><p>Neville stared at her before reaching over and pulling the leaf from her dark hair, his fingers touching her silky locks. He threw the leaf down and pronounced "Much better!" as though he had just solved a great puzzle before he turned his smile back to her.</p><p>Pansy gaped. Neville Longbottom had just reached over and pulled a leaf from her hair. The world was ending. No one touched her hair.</p><p>"So, now that we have had the full tour and inspected all of the vines, is it time for the pool?" Draco drawled with a smirk.</p><p>Theo laughed.</p><p>"Yes, let's go get our swimming clothes on and meet by the pool. The girls can follow me and the guys can go with Blaise" Astoria replied, jumping on the suggestion.</p><p>Upon reaching the manor, Astoria, Pansy, and Millicent followed Daphne up a set of winding stairs to the second floor while Blaise led Theo, Draco, and Neville to a different area on the first floor to change.</p><p>As soon as the girls were alone in the room that they had stored their bags for the overnight trip, Pansy turned to Daphne with a scowl. </p><p>"Daphne, how in the world did Neville Longbottom end up a groomsman in your wedding?" she demanded.</p><p>Daphne smiled, ignoring Pansy's tone. "Blaise and Neville really hit it off a few years ago when they met in Milan at a plant health conference."</p><p>She dug through a drawer and pulled out a pink and white striped bikini. Millicent, followed suit and pulled out her high waisted swim skirt and pineapple bikini top. Well, it was more of a tankini as the top fluttered over most of her stomach and left only a sliver of her stomach displayed before the top of the skirt. Just enough to get Pansy to stop complaining about Millicent's pension for one-pieces.</p><p>Daphne walked into the adjoining bathroom to change and kept talking through the door.</p><p> "Since we were down one guy for the bridal party, Blaise asked Neville and he accepted. I think Neville's good for Blaise. Draco and Theo are so closed off with their emotions but Neville just says what he feels. It's so refreshing!" Daphne proclaimed.</p><p>Pansy snorted as she pulled on a black bikini that left little to the imagination.</p><p>"He seems nice! I'm glad he's here! It's nice to make a new friend" Astoria said as she pulled on a light pink one piece.</p><p>Millicent was the last one ready as she waited for Daphne to come out of the bathroom so she could change in privacy. After Millicent was ready for the pool, she threw on her tank top and grabbed a towel.</p><p>The blokes were already at the pool in their swim trunks drinking fire whiskey as Blaise and Draco discussed proper hot tub temperatures. </p><p>Theo's swim trunks were dark green and his chest had beauty marks and some light freckles dotting the pale expanse. Millicent's eyes snagged on the light trail of hair leading downwards and blushed as heat pooled lower in her body remembering how she had spent multiple nights fantasizing after their last game of exploding snap.</p><p>Realizing she had probably been ogling him for too long, she forced her eyes up to his handsome face to find him staring at her. He looked parched as he wet his lips. Almost as if reading her mind, he reached over to the table to drink his water. He gulped and then offered her a beverage.</p><p>Millicent accepted a pink lemonade from Theo, acutely aware of his cologne as she reached in close to grab the drink from the beverage table.</p><p>"You smell fancy tonight Theo. Is this a new cologne?" Millicent asked. As soon as she asked, she regretted it immediately. It was too intimate and sounded creepy. Bah! Couldn't she ever say the right thing?</p><p>"Uh. Thanks, Millie. It's new." Theo interrupted her inner monologue.</p><p>He blushed, "Do you like it, or is it too much?" he asked looking at her feet.</p><p>"I think you smell great!" she responded reassuringly.</p><p>"Well that's great. We all smell fantastic. Now let's get in the pool" Blaise interrupted. He turned and jumped into the pool splashing Draco who was still in a black long sleeve shirt. There were laws against covering the dark mark in Italy. Breaking that law meant he could spend time in the Italian prison system. He started peeling off his shirt. His pale skin marred by scars and the shaming tattoo. He jumped in the pool.</p><p>Theo and Millicent were now the only ones not in the water. He looked at her and sensed her indecision.</p><p>"I like your skirt" he said, smiling at her.</p><p>"Thanks". Millicent responded, wondering if the silver of skin her swimsuit showed was too much after all.</p><p>She looked back at Theo and saw he was waiting for her. If Draco could do it, why couldn't she? Millicent pulled her shirt off and walked toward the pool. Theo followed.</p><p>"You look beautiful, Millicent" he said smiling at her. </p><p>She turned to him, surprised. He looked shocked too as though he couldn't believe that he had been so forward. Millicent moved her foot around on the tan tiles at the edge of the pool and looked down. They were still wet from Blaise's jump. She looked back to Theo to see if this was all real. She shifted her feet to face him and then she slipped and fell into the pool. Her arm banging on the edge.</p><p>The cold water calmed her hot cheeks. Her arm thrummed in pain, distracting her thoughts.</p><p>She heard a splash behind her as Theo followed her in. The moment had passed.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Terego</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Millicent touched her feet down on the pool floor and swam towards the shallower end until she could stand up. She wiped the water from her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face. She bent her arm back to try and look at it more closely. She had a large scrape on her arm that was bleeding steadily. Her blood mixing with chlorinated water.</p><p>“Oh fuck. Are you okay Millicent?” Theo asked as he swam up to her. He reached out towards her and paused looking at her blood.</p><p>“May I touch you? I think I can heal this with wandless magic but I want to get a good look at how deep the gash is first.” </p><p>“I’m fine,” Millicent said, wishing she wouldn’t have done something so awkward in front of him. </p><p>Theo pulled his hand back and looked down respecting her decision.</p><p>“You can touch my arm, Theo,” Millicent said, realizing that he had asked if he could help her and she had brushed right by his question. Her arm thrummed with pain.</p><p>Theo reached his hand out and held her arm in a gentle grip. They were now sharing the same air. Theo glanced at her face, his wet dark hair clinging to his forehead, before looking down at her blood. Some of the blood had gotten on his hand. </p><p>“Terego” he whispered and the blood vanished.</p><p>“Vulnera Sanentur” he stated more firmly and her skin at the gash knit back together leaving smooth skin.</p><p>“Thanks, Theo. You’re the best!” Millicent smiled at him.</p><p>“Impressive Magic” Neville shouted from where he was watching with Pansy and Astoria. </p><p>“Thanks, Neville. I can teach you if you like”. Theo replied still looking at Millicent to make sure she didn’t have any other injuries.</p><p>Astoria began to swim away towards the ladder to join Draco, Blaise, and Daphne in the hot tub. Pansy raised a brow at Millicent, her eyes skating over Theo still holding her arm. Millicent blushed and turned her attention back to Theo.</p><p>“It doesn’t hurt anymore does it?” Theo asked, worried. “Let me know if it does. I’m not as good at wandless healing spells as other types of spells. It’s been a while since I have had to use one”.</p><p>“It feels good as new!” Millicent replied and gave him a quick hug. Their wet bodies pressing together as her arms held his bare back. Theo immediately hugged her back. She had seen him perform wandless magic many times but it normally didn’t involve so much touching. Millicent wasn’t complaining. He was touching her and had called her beautiful.</p><p>Millicent broke out of the hug as Blaise cannonballed next to them splashing her. </p><p>The next few hours at the pool went swimmingly. A house-elf named Zimmy grilled a great dinner for them all on the pool deck of grilled shrimp and vegetables which paired wonderfully with the wine on the Zabini vineyard. Blaise stage whispered to Draco when Zimmy went back inside that Zimmy was a free and paid elf. Draco ignored his friend's teasing. Apparently it wasn’t just Theo and Millicent who had some ideas as to who Draco was interested in.</p><p>Theo, Neville, Pansy and Millicent spent most of their time either swimming around the pool chatting or with a “koosh” ball that Nevile had brought with him. Astoria sometimes joined them but mostly laid on a large inflatable swan and relaxed. Daphne and Blaise spent a good amount of time kissing and talking about flower centerpieces while in the hot tub which caused Draco to leave the hot tub, roll his eyes, grab a book titled “Centaurs for the Centuries”, and read on a pool chair until the lights grew too dim. </p><p>At that point Millicent was sure he would join them in the pool but then he pulled out a small muggle book lamp from the bag that had housed his book and carried on reading. Millicent filed that information away for later. Draco Malfoy was using muggle technology to read a book that she was fairly certain was about magical creature rights. Everything about the whole situation screamed “Hermione Granger” but she wasn’t here to see him doing all of these things so what was his game? Was he trying to better himself in her eyes?</p><p>Around 11:00 PM, Astoria fell asleep on the swan and the group decided to head inside and get settled in their various guest rooms. Millicent felt a strange sense of adulthood as she was led to her own private room to the left of Pansy’s red room. There were enough rooms for everyone at Blaise’s Italian home. </p><p>“Do you like your room Millicent?” Daphne asked as she led Millicent into a beautiful room with lilac walls and a large king-sized bed with a white down comforter. She was the last to be shown her room as Daphne had a particular one she wanted for Millicent at the far end of the hallway.</p><p>“Like it?” Millicent laughed, “I think I’m in Heaven! The purple is lovely! My favorite color! I can’t believe that this is going to be your home soon Daphne! Your wedding is coming up so soon! Are you excited?”</p><p>Daphne flung herself onto the bed in her cover-up and swimsuit in a move that reminded Millicent of the way they would fly onto each other's beds to talk in their room at Hogwarts. “I’m really excited! It’s been so long that I have known I wanted to marry Blaise but although I do love Italy, I’m glad that we are still going to be spending most of our time in London. I would be too sad if I didn’t live in the same country as you”.</p><p>Millicent jumped on the bed too and hit her in the head with a pillow, “Yes, don’t think of leaving the UK for good! I don’t know what I would do! I would probably just have to quit my job and come and swim in your pool every day!” Millicent joked.</p><p>“Sounds good to me!” Daphne smiled. They looked up at the ceiling. “Thanks so much for taking the day off and coming here for the night. It meant a lot to me to have the whole bridal party here”.</p><p>“No problem! I haven’t taken any days off in a while and now that we are training a few more people in to prepare for the expansion, it was much easier to get someone to cover for me” Millicent replied.</p><p>“Hey Daphne,” Millicent said quieter, turning onto her side to look at her best friend. </p><p>Daphne turned to face her “Yeah?”</p><p>“I know that you tease me about it sometimes but do you actually think that Theo might like me back. It’s only that he said I was beautiful today and then I felt like we had a moment when he healed my cut. It’s so hard to tell if we are just friends or if he would ever consider something more with me. I just don’t want to screw anything up”. Millicent admitted.</p><p>Daphne’s eyes grew wide, “Millicent May Bulstrode, when I mention Theo likes you, I am teasing you but it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Theo is crazy about you. It’s so obvious. He always looks at you like you are the most wonderful person in the world, he laughs at all of your jokes and seeks you out with the lame excuse to play exploding snap all of the time”. Daphne held up a hand as Millicent started to defend the draw of exploding snap.</p><p>“I am fairly certain he would like nothing more than to be more than friends with you Millie. You just have to drop some hints to him, he’s pretty shy and you are one of the only people he’s truly comfortable talking to. Just like you don’t want to screw things up, he doesn’t want to either. He has even more to lose”. Daphne finished.</p><p>“I’m not sure that’s correct…” Millie grumbled hiding her face in her pillow.</p><p>“You don’t have to be sure, I already am. Now go to sleep, we will both need are beauty rest if we are going to be fashion models next Saturday with Pansy! Goodnight!” Daphne said as she sashayed to the door.</p><p>“Ugh. I don’t remember agreeing to that!” Millicent called. There was no answer.<br/>
Millicent shut the door and changed into her pajama shorts and puddlemere t-shirt and walked over to the window. The moon wasn’t full but it was bright. The stars were beautiful. She didn’t want to go to bed yet but decided not to wake anyone else. Millicent put her sandals on and debated if she should slip a bra on under her puddlemere shirt. She decided against it. She had too much to think about without worrying about a contraption to keep her boobs under control.</p><p>Millicent walked out the back door towards the pool and decided to lay on one of the pool chairs so she could stare up at the sky. Astronomy had been one of her best subjects. She loved the way that Muggles and Witches had been able to look up at the same sky for thousands of years and come to conclusions about the world they lived in. Sometimes when earth felt so unsure, she liked looking up and realizing that to a star, she was smaller than a speck of sand on a beach and her problems were smaller than that grain of sand and as such too small for any concern to a giant star. But tonight, Millicent didn’t have problems, she had hope. Could Theo actually care for her? She closed her eyes and fell asleep. </p><p>Millie stretched, flinging her arms wide and then bringing them back in to snuggle into her blanket. The sound of birds chirping filled the air around her. She opened an eye and saw that the sun was just starting to rise out over the vineyards. The vineyards. She had fallen asleep on a pool chair but someone had covered her with a fuzzy blanket during the night and brought her a pillow which was laying next to her on the grown. She looked around and spotted two chairs over another figure under a matching blanket. His brown dishevelled hair peeking out from under his blanket. He turned towards her and his eyes opened, a smile lighting up his face. </p><p>“Good Morning Millie” he called his voice husky with sleep. “Did you sleep alright. I went for a walk late last night and found you sleeping out here. You looked so peaceful but it was pretty cold out that I brought us down some blankets”.</p><p>“Thanks, Theo. That’s so nice of you. I was stargazing.”</p><p>There was a silence and then Theo said “I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I received a letter last week. I haven’t talked about it but my father is really ill. They think he might die. A particularly bad bout of Dragon Pox is spreading at Azkaban”.</p><p>Millicent looked at him. His father had been horrible to him. He had beat him many times and Theo had almost been forced to join the Death Eaters. “I’m not sure what to say”. Millicent admitted. “He seemed like a horrible man but I know he was your father. How are you feeling about it?”</p><p>“I feel strangely exhausted. It’s like I have too many feelings vying for top billing. I’m glad he’s going to be dead in all honesty. It will be nice to not have to worry about him. I do dread cleaning out the Manor though. There is so much dark magic and everything is in such an embarrassing state. I don’t want any of our friends to see where I grew up.”.</p><p>“Don’t worry Theo. Everything will be fine. I will help you no matter what”.</p><p>“Thanks, Millicent” Theo replied, picking at a loose thread on his blanket. “So do you think you will be able to fit in helping me at the manor with your new promotion, cat walking and being a fashion model?” Theo smirked, changing the subject and pulling out a deck of exploding snap.</p><p>“Don’t even go there, Theo! I’ll do it next weekend just for Pansy but I won’t enjoy it!” Millicent laughed.</p><p>“I can’t wait to see what she puts you in. Pansy is something else.” Theo laughed.</p><p>“That she is. Now deal those cards.” Millicent smiled.</p><p>The rest of the house woke up to the sounds of their laughter. In the late morning, they all traveled by international portkey back to their normal lives with a spring in their step.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Millicent Models</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Upon returning to the UK, Millicent picked up Toffee from her aunt Beatrice’s care. Beatrice had raised Millicent with plenty of love. She wasn’t magical herself but always took the time to listen to Millicent and tell her stories of when Millicent’s dad first started learning about magic. As a kid, it had helped make Millicent less lonely thinking about her dad learning about Magic.</p><p>Daphne and Theo had both visited her Aunt’s new flat in Cornwall a couple of years ago for tea. Daphne had been a wonderful guest, asking all the right questions and Theo had been so polite and interested in all of Beatrice’s stories that Millicent was worried her aunt would never stop telling tales about Millicent’s bouts of accidental childhood magic. Theo had loved every minute of it and asked quite a few questions in regard to Beatrice’s favorite tale in which 9-year-old Millicent had accidentally turned her hair red after reading Anne of Green Gables. Millicent then had to explain the whole story to Theo and Daphne who had never heard of Anne.</p><p>Millicent often missed her aunt so after a large hug, she scooped up Toffee and sat down with Beatrice on the couch in the living room. Millie couldn’t remember her birth parents and Beatrice was the full extent to her family living in the UK. </p><p>“Tell me about your adventure in Italy, Millie! You sure have some great friends!” Beatrice said as she dusted her glasses off on the edge of her blouse.</p><p>“It was a lot of fun. Daphne’s fiance Blaise has a family home in Italy surrounded by the most beautiful vineyards. We spent most of our time walking around the property and hanging out by the pool. At night the stars were so bright because we were so far out in the countryside. You would have loved the star gazing” Millicent replied.</p><p>“Oh, that sounds wonderful! I do love constellation hunting! Who was all there? Was Theo there? He’s always such a nice young man” Beatrice asked her voice just a little bit too casual.</p><p>Millicent laughed. “He was there alright. I banged my arm on the side of the pool and he healed my cut and then later on I fell asleep looking at the stars and he brought me a blanket. He was kind of a superstar this weekend.”</p><p>Beatrice looked at her niece, her pride of joy, and waited for her to continue.</p><p>“Blaise, Daphne, Astoria, Pansy, Draco and another bloke from Hogwarts who is in the wedding party, Neville, were also there. It was just great. Pansy is trying to get me to participate in a fashion show this coming weekend for her new fashion line but I am a little uncertain about it.” Millicent admitted.</p><p>“Oh, how wonderful for Pansy. I am sure you would make a wonderful model. You are so beautiful just like your mother was. What are you uncertain about?” Beatrice asked.</p><p>“It’s just I don’t know how the clothes are going to fit or if I’ll trip or do something embarrassing at the show. I am not normal modeling material.” Millicent grimaced. The fear seeping out of her now that she was with her aunt.</p><p>Beatrice scoffed, “You most certainly are modeling material. Millicent May, I raised you to know that you can do anything. Every day you prove that you can walk and wear clothing. If you couldn’t, the winter would be a little too cold, no?” </p><p>Millicent laughed, “Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it.”</p><p>----</p><p>Pansy’s head popped into her floo the next morning to tell her that she had invited the entire wedding party to the Del Monte Fashion Show and asked them to invite others. This only served to make Millicent more anxious. </p><p>Pansy stepped out of the floo and took all of Millicent’s measurements without batting an eye. Millicent blushed as a tape measurer danced around her but Pansy was all business as she took down the information on a paper scroll. </p><p>She shared that Ginny Weasley had agreed to model as well so there would be three models: Ginny, Daphne, and Millicent. They would each model two outfits. Millicent was told to report to the fashion show location at 5:00 PM for hair and makeup. The show would start at 7:00 PM and she could invite anyone else she wanted. Pansy seemed very concerned that there wasn’t going to be a good showing. Millicent thought about inviting Beatrice but knew that she wouldn’t be able to get her there and that Beatrice would not be able to travel to a magical location without the assistance of a witch or wizard. It was nothing new to Millicent but it still bothered her. She pushed it aside and didn't send her an invitation. </p><p>The day before the show, Theo owled her to find out who she had invited. Millicent had written back that she hadn't sent any invited but would like to see him there if he was free. He had responded that he wouldn't miss it and was already planning to be there with Draco, Blaise, and Neville.</p><p>---<br/>
Millicent and Daphne arrived together at the location of the Fashion show and were immediately greeted by Pansy in a green sleeveless dress with a v-neck that showed off a fair amount of cleavage. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant french knot and her diamond earrings dangled from her ears catching the sunlight and casting reflections on her checks.</p><p>“Oh, I am so glad to see you both! I was worried that you might miss your hair appointments!” Pansy greeted. She hugged them both and then quickly beckoned for her two friends to follow her to a large room with swivel chairs seated in front of counters with mirrors. Three women that Millicent had never seen before were organizing beauty supplies and hair products on the counter. </p><p>“Esmerelda, Linda, and Keiva work at Hogsmeade Hair and have graciously agreed to help us today in exchange for free advertising” Pansy smiled gesturing to the women. </p><p>“Hello, I’m Millicent and this is Daphne. We're friends with Pansy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Millicent said shaking hands with the women.</p><p>Daphne waved and Pansy smirked.</p><p>“Okay, have a seat you two. Ginny should be here shortly but there is no reason why Esmerelda and Linda can’t start on your hair and makeup”. Pansy stated before moving into an attached room full of hanging garments.</p><p>Millicent looked into the mirror and saw a woman with a round face and light brown hair staring back at her. Her hair was slightly frizzy and she reached up to try and smooth it to no avail. </p><p>Linda caught her movements and smiled, “No need to worry about anything. You are in good hands. I am under strict instructions to give you smokey eyes and bright lipstick. I think that your hair is so long and beautiful that I am just going to curl it and brush the curls out. It should be easy and painless. Does that sound good to you?”</p><p>“That sounds perfect. I haven’t done anything like this before so I trust you completely” Millicent said, pushing down her anxiety.</p><p>Just then, Pansy showed up with Ginny Weasley, her red hair matching the chairs in the salon area.</p><p>“Hi, Ginny. It’s nice to see you again. It’s been a while” Daphne said twisting from where Esmerelda was putting on her foundation to look at the redhead.</p><p>“It’s nice to see you Daphne and you too Millicent!” Ginny proclaimed taking a seat as Keiva moved to stand beside her.</p><p>“Who would have thought that we would all be modeling in a fashion show for Pansy Parkinson?” Ginny grumbled obviously unsure how she had been roped into participating in this event. Millicent wondered why Ginny had agreed but decided it was best not to ask.</p><p>“Not I, that’s for sure” laughed Millicent. </p><p>Ginny grinned before admitting, “Pansy tried to get me to talk Hermione into modeling too but she absolutely refused. I told her that if she wasn’t going to be here as a model, that she had to come with Harry as a guest and cheer us on! I hope that she and Malfoy can manage to be civil. He's apparently been trying to help her pass a piece of legislation lately regarding centaur hunting grounds so they have been under a tenuous truce.”</p><p>"A tenuous truce sounds just like the kind of thing Draco would propose! I'm sure they will try to stay civil tonight".</p><p>Millicent snorted at her friend's optimism but didn't have any proof either way so she added "Let's hope so" before settling in for her makeover.</p><p>Millicent smirked as she wondered how Draco would react to Hermione tonight. Even the guest to the fashion show would be wearing their best outfits and Millicent had no idea what Hermione would wear but it probably wouldn’t be jeans and a jumper. She would have to ask Theo to fill her in on all of the details if she wasn't able to hang out with them after the show.</p><p>An hour later Millicent was sporting soft wavy curls, red lipstick, smoky gray eye shadow, heavy mascara, and light blush. Linda looked at her waiting for her response after she was spun around to see herself in the mirror. </p><p>“Oh Linda, you did a great job!” Millicent said, touching her curls. The makeup was amazing and Millicent couldn’t stop smiling. Linda smiled and put away the brushes.</p><p>“Don’t touch your hair!” Pansy snapped appearing over Millicent’s shoulder.</p><p>Pansy looked at the other two women who were nearing the end of their hair and makeup and decided to calibrate and try again. “You look beautiful Millicent. You look like a vintage pin-up witch!”</p><p>Pansy turned to Ginny and Daphne and said, “It looks you are both almost done with your hair and makeup and you both look gorgeous. When you are done come find Millicent and me in the next room. We are getting close to show time and I’m going to show you your two outfits and help you get set up for your first outfit. Come on Millicent May, it’s time for you to check out your clothes!” and with that Millicent and Pansy walked to the room that Pansy had originally disappeared into. </p><p>The room had a large curtain separating it from the stage and Pansy whispered to Millie, “Follow me, I’ll show you where you will be walking down the runway first, and then we will get your clothes out”. </p><p>Millicent nodded and the two women walked to the side of the curtain. Pansy leaned over peeking her head out to the other side and gestured for Millie to do the same. When Millicent joined her, she saw a stage that led out into a walkway. Two rows of white wooden folding chairs lined the walkway on each side and at the very end, there were four circular tables with white tablecloths and large bouquets of peonies, irises, and snapdragons. At the side of the room, some light horderves and punches were laid out. A few guests were milling about already but not anyone that Millicent recognized. Three designers were sharing this fashion show and Pretty Practical was last in the lineup. Millicent gulped and turned to her designer friend. </p><p>“So Pansy, I just have to walk down to the end, smile, turn around, and walk back out the other side?” Millicent asked.</p><p>“Yes, exactly. Don’t forget to smile and try to look like you have a secret or you are up to something. I’ve been told that’s alluring. You could wink at Theo. Whatever you feel comfortable with” Pansy replied, smirking.</p><p>Pansy began leading her back to a rack of clothing near some try on stalls. </p><p>“Pansy, I don’t care who’s out there, I am not winking at anyone tonight. You owe me.” Millicent started trailing off at the end as she crossed her arms over her zip of sweatshirt self consciously.</p><p>Pansy reached to the right in the rack and pulled out two garment bags and handed them to Millicent. Millicent looked down at the heavy garment bags to find a piece of paper reading "Model Millicent Bulstrode" in Dark purple with the words “You’ve got this” scrawled in Pansy’s handwriting across the bottom pinned to the bag with a safety pin.</p><p>Pansy smiled and looked at her watch. “Millicent you can go into changing room seven and put this on. I am going to go and grab Astoria and Ginny. They are taking way too long in there. We only have thirty minutes until showtime”. Pansy started fidgeting with her hair as she walked away.</p><p>“Don’t touch your hair, Pansy” Millicent teased as she walked towards the changing room. Pansy laughed and threw up her hand in what could have been a peace sign but was probably intended to be an inappropriate gesture. Millicent giggled and walked into the try-on room closing the gray curtain shut. Pansy tried so hard to learn things about muggle culture but every so often she failed in the funniest ways.</p><p>Millicent stripped out of her pants and unzipped her sweatshirt leaving her in shapewear shorts which stopped her thighs from chaffing and gave her an extra boost of confidence and a new black strapless bra that Pansy had insisted she wear to the event. She unzipped the first bag and found a black knee-length cotton dress with red, yellow, orange, and purple embroidered flowers around the high scoop neckline and over the tops of two pockets sewed into the front. The sleeves were tight to the elbow and then fanned out for a few inches creating ¾ length bell sleeves. A pair of plain black heels were in the changing room already as well as a few bracelets, necklaces and one floppy black hat. </p><p>Millicent could hear Pansy in the background showing Ginny and Daphne around and leading them to their changing rooms. She threw the dress over her head and zipped it up halfway. She slipped into her heels and peeked her head outside. Pansy was waiting outside and studying a piece of paper with the schedule. </p><p>“Pansy..” Millicent interrupted. “Can you help zip me up all of the way?”</p><p>“Oh Millie, you look great!” Pansy squealed as Millicent grabbed her hair out of the way and presented the zipper to her friend.</p><p>Pansy zipped her up and turned her towards a mirror that Millicent hadn’t noticed earlier. The dress was exactly her style and fit perfectly. Millicent hadn’t imagined that she would like the dress so much.</p><p>“I love it, Pansy! The detailing is gorgeous and I feel like I could wear it out on a date, or for a girls night or even for work because it’s still so modest! And the fabric is so soft!” she exclaimed, doing a spin.</p><p>“Why do you think this line is called Pretty Practical? Most of the items are meant to be versatile so that witches or muffle women are able to buy comfortable items for a variety of occasions. Your second outfit will be your formal outfit”. Pansy laughed. Her face then became serious. </p><p>“You're missing your hat” she added, running to grab the hat from the changing room and plunking it on Millicent’s head. </p><p>It was off-kilter and Millicent straightened it. Pansy reached over and said “Keep it tilted slightly, it adds mystery. Go look at your second outfit, as soon as you are back from your first outfit, you will have to change really quickly out of this dress and hat and into the second dress and the diamond bracelet and necklace.”</p><p>Ginny popped out of her changing room in dark gray pants and white, teal, and yellow geometric top. Millicent and Ginny smiled at each other as Pansy instructed her to grab a yellow purse and loop it over her shoulder. Daphne just stepped out in a pale peach and navy colored short sleeve dress with a navy belt. She looked so girly and beautiful. Millicent gave her a thumbs up and Daphne gave her a thumbs up back.</p><p>Millicent found a long red dress with a sweetheart neckline waiting for her. It was exquisite and low cut. Millicent worried if it would be too revealing but they were out of time. The lights were turned on and off three times and then a woman's voice called out from the other side of the curtain welcoming guests to the Le Monte fashion show. Quiet applause sounded and Millicent began to sweat worried about how many people were out there. </p><p>Millicent stepped out of the changing room. Pansy organized them in line Ginny, Millicent, Daphne. Ginny and Pansy looked excited but Daphne looked green and was fiddling with her pearl bracelet. Millicent reached over and gave her a side hug whispering “You look beautiful. Blaise is going to go crazy!”. Daphne gave a tight-lipped smile.</p><p>There were two other groups of women spaced out in the staging area representing the other two lines. The women waited as a Designer was welcomed on stage. He made a few jokes and the first models began their showing. Then the second group. Finally, the host welcomed Ms. Pansy Parkinson to the stage. </p><p>Ginny, Millicent, and Pansy lined up to the side of the curtain just out of view. </p><p>“Good evening everyone. I am so glad that you could join me for the debut of my first independent line Pretty Practical. I have designed these outfits for quite some time with the hope of offering versatile women’s wear in all sizes that would work well in both the muggle and the magical worlds.” Pansy introduced her line smoothly. Her green dress looked so professional under the lights on the stage and her confidence seemed to buoy something inside of Millicent. Millicent reached forward and squeezed Ginny’s hand in front of her. Ginny smiled and held her head high.</p><p>The crowd was clapping for Pansy’s new line. Pansy moved off to the side behind a podium and said “Without further ado, our first model is Ginny Weasley, an old classmate and a newly signed chaser for the Chudley Cannons.” Ginny walked forward, put her hand on her hip, looked both ways, and then continued to sachet down the runway and back. The crowd clapped enthusiastically.</p><p>“Next up is one of my best friends, Millicent Bulstrode. Millicent works at Eeylops Owl Emporium!”. Daphne nudged her and Millicent walked onto the stage. </p><p>The room was packed and light music played. Millicent walked steadily to the end of the stage, paused looking out into the crowd and let an exquisite smile light up her face. It was hard to see around the room due to the stage lighting but Aunt Beatrice was sitting sandwiched between Theodore Nott and Hermione Granger at the end of the stage beaming at her as she clapped loudly in her best muggle dress. Someone had brought her via side apparition and Millicent's heart swelled to think it could have been Theo.</p><p>Millicent did a movement between a shimmy and shake before winking at her aunt and tossing her curls over her shoulder as she walked back and out the other side of the curtain. The room was applauding and cheeting for her. Millicent didn't' have time to ponder Beatrice's surprise appearance any further. She ran back to the changing room as Ginny Weasley flew out of another changing room in a slinky silver dress. Daphne was on stage now and Ginny was almost back up again. </p><p>Millicent tore off her hat, throwing it to the floor, and jumped into the red dress without worrying about the decent amount of cleavage on display. She just barely zipped it up herself before she ran to stand behind Ginny as Daphne came out from the other side of the curtain looking relieved. It fit so well and the cap sleeve made her feel elegant and sophisticated.</p><p>“The next three outfits are less for everyday wear and are meant for formal events. I have designed formal wear in the Pretty Practical line to be what I consider timeless pieces that could be dressed up or down for various events depending on the accessories used. I now present the formal dresses. The models will line up on the other side of the stage at the end.”</p><p>Light applause followed and then Ginny Weasley was slinking down the stage with enviable levels of confidence and sass. Daphne showed up behind Millicent in a sleeveless black satin dress with black applique around the waist. </p><p>“Daphne, in the end, we are supposed to stand together and wait at the other side. You look great” Millicent whispered as she leaned into her friend's ear to fill her in on what she had missed while changing.</p><p>Ginny stopped on the other side of the stage and put her hand on her hip. Millicent strutted onto the stage with her head high. She heard someone whisper “she’s so pretty” and Millicent decided to do a spin instead of a turn at the end. Her dress fanned out in a circle that if it was shorter would have flirted with being immodest but as it was, it was perfectly fine. Millicent walked back to Ginny on the side of the stage and something wild took hold of her as she decided at the last second to bump hips with Ginny and end with her hand on her hip. Ginny smirked and bumped hips back. The crowd laughed. Millicent nodded at Daphne, she walked out on the stage smiling shyly. At the end, she curtseyed and a man who was most likely Blaise, gave a low whistle. Daphne blushed and smiled walking back to Millicent’s side. </p><p>Millicent wrapped her arms around Daphne and Ginny’s shoulders. Pansy walked to where they stood and thanked everyone for attending. She invited them to shop her line at Dalkeith Womenswear. Daphne reached out and put her arm around Pansy’s shoulder and the four women bowed together. The crowd cheered and the second set of curtains closed, hiding them from view. The four girls melted into a group hug relieved that the fashion show had been a success.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Girl in the Red Dress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Thank you!!!! Thank you! All three of you did excellently!" Pansy shrieked as she circled her arms tighter around the three models. </p><p>"These designs are awesome, Pansy!" Millicent cried hugging her back.</p><p>Daphne's face was slowly relaxing into a smile and she nodded her agreement. Pansy blushed and straightened out her already perfectly in place dress.</p><p>"This was so much fun! I feel like I am ready for a gala!" Ginny smiled pulling up her silver dress in the front to cover up her decolletage.</p><p>"Well, let's go join our fans!" Pansy crooned and took off with a beckoning motion around the curtain. </p><p>The women walked around the corner and down the stage steps to find that the spotlights had been replaced with elegant evening lighting. Some people had left but the friends and supporters of "Pretty Practical were all gathered around two tables drinking punch and clapping as they entered the room! They had quite a turn out with Theo, Beatrice, Neville, Draco, Harry, Hermione, Blaise, Astoria and Daphne’s parents.</p><p>"What beautiful designs and models!" Astoria greeted. </p><p>"Well done girls! You all look so lovely and did so well” Estelle Greengrass spoke from next to Astoria pulling her oldest daughter into a hug and then reaching over to hug Pansy.</p><p>She would have hugged Millicent but she was already moving towards her aunt with her arms held wide, and her diamond necklace glittering. </p><p>“Aunt Beatrice! ” Millicent proclaimed as Beatrice met her halfway for a hug and kiss on the cheek.</p><p>“You did wonderful, Millie! You are a gorgeous young woman and I am so proud of you sweetheart!” Beatrice said into Millicent's curls as their hug continued swaying back and forth.</p><p>Millicent pulled back and held her aunt’s elbows as she looked at her. Her aunt’s brown hair curled in a similar way to Millicent’s making their family resemblance apparent for one of the first times in her life.</p><p>“How did you get here? I wasn’t sure that you would be able to get here as it’s a magical venue” Millicent asked her with a quizzical eyebrow raised.</p><p>“Well, yesterday afternoon your friend Theodore showed up at my door. He gave me an invitation and offered to escort me! It was so nice of him. We went on quite the adventure!” Beatrice smiled, pulling an arm back and reaching for the arm of the freckled young man in a navy suit beside her. </p><p>Theo’s cheeks were rosy and his freckles stood out like constellations across his face. Theo’s and Millicent’s eyes connected and she felt the weight of this gesture hit her as she looked on at him in amazement.</p><p>“You helped my aunt get here, Theo?” Millicent asked, needing confirmation that he had gone out of his way to do something like this for her and her aunt. </p><p>“Yeah. I mean… it was no big deal.” he stumbled over his words. “I just wanted to make sure your aunt was able to be here to support you. I heard that Mr. &amp; Mrs. Greengrass were coming and I thought it would be nice,” he added.</p><p>“Theo, thank you so much. How did you do it? How did you get here?” Millicent looked between Beatrice and Theo.</p><p>The red in Theo’s face only seemed to deepen as he fiddled with the top button of his jacket. After a pause, he started in. “I worked with Hermione to call a Hackney car on the tele-a-fone. Then I apparated to near your aunt’s house and waited for the muggle car to arrive. I gave the driver the address and he looked skeptical when he dropped us off in front of a boarded-up shop but I told him it was the right spot and paid him with muggle money and then I just looped arms with your aunt and once we were alone we walked right in.” Theo finished.</p><p>“It was the strangest thing. Right when we got to the building, I got the feeling that this was not safe and I didn’t want to go anywhere near the building but Theo convinced me that there was a muggle repelling charm and then we just walked right through the boarded-up window and ended up here. It didn’t even hurt!” Beatrice proclaimed.</p><p>“Wow, that sounds crazy. Thank you both so much for being here!” Millicent said not knowing what to say when her heart was pounding thinking about the effort Theo had gone through to make this happen. This was the first time her aunt had been anywhere magical except for Diagon Alley for school shopping which had been heavily organized by Hogwarts. </p><p>“You were a star tonight! I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. Now I am going to go and talk to Hermione about her new muggle relative access plan. I ended up sitting next to her and she heard our story of how we got here today and she would like to try and develop something with Theo that would allow muggle relatives to not feel apprehensive to enter the muggle world. Theo thinks he could try to work on a potion to help balance the effects.” Beatrice said. </p><p>Millicent’s eyes went huge as her aunt gave her another squeeze and peck on the cheek as she moved to where Hermione stood in black pants and a light pink dress shirt. She looked like she had come straight from the ministry. Perhaps she didn’t have dress robes. She was standing next to Ginny and Harry with her back almost touching Draco’s as he faced the opposite direction talking to Neville and Pansy.</p><p>The greengrass family must have left with Blaise. They were going to have a family dinner afterward.</p><p>It was now just Millicent and Theo standing together near the stage. A man in a suit and a woman in a red dress and diamond necklace. </p><p>“You like handsome, Theodore Nott!” Millicent said as her eyes took in his ensemble.</p><p>“You look beautiful, Millie. Your aunt is right. You look like a star! Then again, you always shine bright Millicent” he said as he stared at her red lips. His eyes flashed to her face.<br/>
Millicent thought about Theo. Her friend. Her confidante. He was always by her side and always went above and beyond to do things for her. She wanted to show him what it meant to her that he had brought Beatrice to the fashion show but none of the words seem to convey the depth of her emotion. </p><p>“Thanks, Theo. You were amazing tonight too! I mean with my aunt, not on the runway. Not that you couldn’t be a model. Of course, you could…” Millicent trailed off as her words ran away from her and Theo stepped closer to her laughing.</p><p>Millicent started laughing too and then something clicked. She thought through his comment about her always shining bright. What did that actually mean? Was this more proof that he could return her feelings? </p><p>As soon as Millicent thought that, she shook the question from her head and pushed a curl behind her ear. The woman in the red dress with the diamonds didn’t worry about rejection. Millicent reached up and brushed her lips over Theo’s. She was kissing him and as his arm went up to her back to pull her closer, she wondered why she hadn’t done this earlier. His lips were soft and earnest. He pushed her hair back and deepened the kiss. </p><p>The sound of fluttering entered the room. An owl hooted and an official ministry envelope was dropped off on the chair next to Theo. </p><p>The kiss broke and Theo’s smile turned to concern as he opened the letter. As he read, his face turned ashen and he sat down letting the letter fall to the ground. Millicent picked up the letter and skimmed it. Theodore Nott Sr. was dead.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Breakdown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Millicent stared at Theo as he sucked in ragged breaths. Millicent knelt down in front of him on the floor, her red dress rumpling under her on the ground. She grabbed his hands as he started to cry.</p><p>"Theo… we will get through this. I'm here for you" millicent said unsure of what to say. Her voice struggeling to stay even.</p><p>A pair of expensive brown shoes came into Millicents view followed by practical black flats. Millicent ignored the feet and kept her eyes focused on Theo. His tears trailing over his freckles and his breathing erratic.</p><p>"Mate, you're hyperventilating. It's alright, it will get better. Focus on breathing. Match me." the owner of the brown shoes instructed. His voice worried but knowledgeable. Millicent recognized it as Draco and she picked up the letter and handed it to Hermione as Draco continued.</p><p>"Breath in. 1. 2. 3… breath out 1. 2. 3." Draco repeated 5 times. His pale hand on Theos shoulder. </p><p>Hermione nudged Draco and pointed to the end of the letter as she rubbed her eyes. Draco read it quickly his concern melting into anger.</p><p>"Theo. That bastard is dead. Everything is going to be fine. Fuck him." Draco said his voice low and his eyes twitching.</p><p>"Draco…" Hermione said her voice half aghast and half worried. </p><p>"He deserved to die in Azkaban, Granger. Not everyone has been blessed with a kind father and Theodore Nott Sr. makes Lucius look like a saint." Draco spat.</p><p>Pansy and Neville were now headed towards them and the number of people in the room had thinned considerably. Pansy looked distressed. "What's wrong?" she called panicked.</p><p>"Theo's father is dead" Millicent whispered her voice barely audible.</p><p>Pansy gasped her eyes wide. She set down her champagne glass. The party was over.</p><p>Theo's breathing was still quite fast but seemed less ragged. He looked up for the first time since reading the letter and his eyes locked on Millicent's.</p><p>"Let's leave" Theo said practically begging Millicent. He didn't want to be alone. </p><p>"Malfoy and I can help Beatrice get home." Hermione offered. Aunt Beatrice had been standing quietly behind Hermione taking in the scene with a hand over her mouth the entire time. Millicent felt a huge surge of gratitude for Hermione. </p><p>"Yes, thank you. That would be great. I'll owl you all in the morning. Will that be alright, Beatrice?" </p><p>"Yes dear, take care of Theo." Beatrice said before walking up and giving Theo a hug. </p><p>"My condolences. You are a wonderful young man and things will get better." Beatrice whispered and then pulled back.</p><p>Theo and Millicent stood up. Millicent wrapped her arm around his lanky frame still in his suit and they headed to the floo leaving a worried group behind. </p><p>"Its going to be okay" Millicent whispered before grabbing floo powder from a vase near the old brick fireplace. She glanced at Theo, he looked green.</p><p>"Ready?" she asked holding his arm and pulling them both to the fire. </p><p>He nodded and the grip on Millicent's arm tightened.</p><p>"The flat of Theodore Nott Jr." Millicent called.</p><p>The pair stepped through into the green spoke and landed inside Theos flat. </p><p>"Im going to be sick" Theo yelled running to the bathroom and vomitting.</p><p>Millicent gave him a moment in peace as he gagged and then started to sob. Millicent poured a glass of water and then came to the bathroom door. Without looking she cast a scorgify into the room vanishing any sick. </p><p>She looked into the bathroom and saw her reserved friend, the man she loved, crying on the gray tile floor next to the toilet in his best suit. He looked so broken that Millicent felt her eyes mist.</p><p>Millicent sat down on the tile next to him. Her legs crossed and her dress riding up. She didn't care. They were sitting on the floor. This was their thing but she didn't think a deck of cards or jokes would help. She didn't think anything could help.</p><p>"Heres some water. Let me know how I can help. I am so sorry that you have to go through this." Millicent whispered as she reached out to touch his arm.</p><p>Theos eyed connected with hers. "I think I'm a bad person" he whispered the words echoing off the tile.</p><p>"What do you mean? You're one of the kindest people I've ever met… theo…" Millicent stated in wonder at his statement.</p><p>"I wished he was dead. My own father. Everytime he beat me or crucioed me, I wished he was dead. I'm happy he's dead." Theo gasped fresh tears trailing down his face.</p><p>"He was a horrible man. You did nothing wrong. He was a bad man but you, Theo, are a good man. You are the best man I know. You always have been. It's not your fault he died." Millicent cried as she leaned over and pulled Theo into a tight hug.</p><p>They cried together in the bathroom for a long time. Theo talked about his father and his childhood trauma and it was like a barrier between the two friends had been opened. They moved to the couch that they rarely sat on in the living room and sunk into its embrace. They talked late into the night until their tears turned into tails of salt on their cheeks.</p><p>Theo looked at his living room clock. It now read 1:00 AM.</p><p>"Its late. I'm sorry for keeping you out so late. I'm sorry I'm such a mess" Theo said gesturing to the time before running a hand through his hair.</p><p>"Your not a mess. Your a person and one I care a lot about. I know it was hard but I'm really glad we got to talk tonight and I'm glad your father is gone. No one has to worry about him anymore" Millicent corrected.</p><p>There was a silence as Millicent tried to figure out if Theo wanted her to leave now. Their kiss was in the back of her mind but it had been pushed down by the immense grief of the evening. Maybe he regretted it? She had stayed over in a spare bedroom once before a few years ago when she had lost her wand while out drinking with her friends. Theo hadn't felt it was safe for her to return home without a wand and they had spent the evening playing exploding snap and eating chocolate frogs. This was different, she shook her head and decided to ask him directly.</p><p>"Theo, would you like me to stay the night with you?" Millicent asked as she pulled her dress down to cover more of her legs.</p><p>Theo studied her and then responded "yes, Millicent.  If you don't mind, I don't want to be alone." He said blushing.</p><p>"I don't mind. I want to be here with you" Millicent said definitely.</p><p>They walked to Theo's bedroom where he grabbed an old soft slytherin tshirt for Millicent. He pulled out a pair if black pajama shorts and charmed them shorter and slightly larger. </p><p>He handed them to Millicent looking shy, "Millie, will these do for your pajamas? They are the softest I own" he said as though she needed and deserved only the best.</p><p>"They are perfect. Thanks" Millicent smiled. She walked to the bathroom and closed the door to change in privacy. Looking in the mirror was a young woman in a beautiful red dress with now messy curls and mascara running down her cheeks. Ugh. Millicent stripped off the dress, bra and shapewear. She unhooked the necklace and laid it next to the sink. </p><p>She stood in her purple cotton underwear and washed the mascara off her face. With it gone she felt like she was just her normal self. She pulled on the shorts. A perfect fit due to Theo's excellent transfiguration skills. She then pulled on the super soft slytherin tshirt that she had seen him in so many times at Hogwarts. It was snug on her but she pulled it on. Her nipples stood out through the fabric. She prayed Theo wouldn't notice but part of her hoped he did. </p><p>She grabbed her clothes, folded them and put them in the hall before knocking on Theo's bedroom door.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Sleep Over</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: This chapter includes a non-penetrative sex scene. Skip to Ch. 11 if that bothers you! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Millicent knocked and started pushing the door open slowly revealing Theodore Nott in black pajama pants and a white t-shirt standing next to his bed facing the wood headboard. He was fluffing the white pillows. Two pillows, Millicent noticed. Theo had a spare room but perhaps that spare room wasn’t needed tonight. Not that she would want to pressure him so close to the death of his father but he had said that he didn’t want to be alone and it was a huge bed. They could lay beneath the down comforter and still have plenty of room between them to not touch. </p><p>He turned around as she entered and took her in. His lips quirked in the smallest movements as his eyes skated down her silhouette in his clothes. His Adam's apple bobbed as he pushed his hand through his brown hair. His eyes latched onto her chest and Millicent stood transfixed as she watched him take her in. </p><p>Millicent found herself feeling less shy than she had thought. The focused and almost reverent look in his eyes didn’t allow for it. </p><p>Feeling brave, Millicent realized that she would be the first one to speak. She decided to cut to the chase before her bravery wore out. </p><p>“Theo, I know that it’s kind of late and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable but would you like me to sleep in here with you or should I go stay in the spare bedroom?” Millicent asked standing in the doorway. </p><p>“Um” his hand went through his hair. She shifted on her feet by the door.</p><p>“I, uh, would love for you to stay in here with me if it’s not too uncomfortable for you. You look nice in those pajamas” he stuttered blushing.</p><p>Millicent blushed and walked over to the opposite side of the bed and slipped herself in beneath the cool sheets as she smiled. “Thanks Theo. I think after everything tonight, it would be nice to stay together” Millicent said looking at the ceiling, nerves creeping up on here now that she was vertical in Theo’s bed.</p><p>“Sounds good, Millicent” Theo replied before reaching for his wand and whispering “Nox”.  The lights went out and the bed sagged slightly as Theo joined her under the covers. A small amount of light still came in through the shuttered windows and Millicent flipped on her side to face Theo as her eyes adjusted. </p><p>His profile reflected in the moonlight as he lay flat on his back and played with a loose string on the corner of the blanket. As the seconds passed, she could make out his dark eyes and shaggy hair and then finally his pink lips and freckled cheeks. She knew that he sensed her staring at him but Millicent reckoned that this could be the only time she really saw him like this and she didn’t want to miss seeing how he was feeling. He could be sad about his dad again or worried about something else and she wasn’t sure that he would verbalize it to her after being so vulnerable all night.</p><p>He lay so still that she realized he must want to just to go to bed and not talk anymore. </p><p>“Goodnight, Theo.” Millicent said quietly. He looked over at her and started to open his mouth to say goodnight when on a wild impulse, Millicent felt that the words weren’t enough and reached over to kiss him on the cheek. </p><p>As soon as her lips touched his freckled cheek, she felt him let out a ragged breath that ran parallel to her neck causing goosebumps to run down her arms and warm heat to course lower as she felt her arousal deepen. The warmth and swooping feelings that she often felt and ignored around Theo and pushed off until she was alone in her flat.</p><p>As she laid back and a blush heated her face in embarrassment she heard Theo moan “Millie” and roll over onto his side. Their positions reversed. He stared at her and she stared at the ceiling. A few seconds past and Millicent couldn’t hold out anymore, she glanced back at him. Their eyes connected and he must have seen her lust reflected there" </p><p>“Can I kiss you?” Theo whispered his voice vulnerable and thick as though he was about to risk it all and walk out on a tightrope.</p><p>Millicent turned to face him, hardly believing what was happening. “Yes” she breathed. “Please” she added.</p><p>Theo let out a ragged breath and then his lips were on hers and his body was up against her side. His lips were soft and cautious and Millicent responded in kind wrapping her arms around his white t-shirt and running her hand down his back.</p><p>He groaned and repeated her move down Millicent’s back before deepening the kiss and cupping her face. His thumb stroked her cheek and pushed back Millicent’s hair to better see her face.</p><p>Millicent moaned and wrapped her legs around his pulling him close. His legs tangled with hers and his hand moved from her face down to her shoulder. It waited there and then he reached down to the bottom of the t-shirt she was wearing and stared at her. He broke the kiss and breathed heavily. His eyes were intense. “Oh Millicent” he muttered. “You are so fucking beautiful” </p><p>His hand touched the bottom of her T-shirt and his long fingers trailed across the sliver of exposed chest. He gulped and looked at her as though now unsure if he should proceed or not. He wanted permission. Millicent nodded. As far as she was concerned he could take this as far as he wanted. This was all she had dreamed of. He was it. All of the one date wonders Pansy had set her up with over the years, none of them had held a candle to her feelings for Theo.<br/>
His hands pulled on the edge of her shirt and Millicent wondered if he would like what he saw. Her belly was rounder and her breasts were heavy. But then she remembered that this was Theo, he had seen her over and over again with more clothes on but not invisible and he had been the one to always say she was beautiful.</p><p>The pace that he was setting was too slow. Millicent realized that the slower this went the more time she had to second guess his intent and get self conscious. She removed his hand from where it had now reached her belly button.</p><p>He started at her in concern “I can stop, sorry… I uh… sorry, I don’t want to be pushy. I’ve just wanted this for so long” Theo said swiping his hair out of his face and sitting up, his legs untangled from Millicent’s. She felt cold without him. </p><p>“Me too. I’ve wanted this for a long time too” she responded gasping as she knelt on the bed next to him and pulled off her shirt revealing her voluptuous body and hard bright pink nipples. She pinched her own nipple and looked at him, a move she had once read about in a magazine Pansy had. Theo groaned and adjusted the now apparent bulge in his pajamas as he moved to kneel next to her. His eyes thirsty.</p><p>“So beautiful” he breathed. He kissed Millicent chastely on her red lips as his hand ran over her stomach and chest. He lightly pushed her down onto his bed. The soft bed greeting her back as his even soft kisses brushed down her chest before his mouth reached one of her nipples. He slowly began sucking and his other hand reached out to slowly tease her other nipple. </p><p>Millicent groaned “Theo… so good” and then reached over to his pants. She touched his waistband and the flesh of his stomach right above it. </p><p>“Take your shirt off too” Millicent murmured between small noises as her body responded to Theo’s rapt attention.</p><p>He stopped and quickly divested himself of his shirt. Millicent looked at his chest and saw some faint scarring on his left side and a field of freckles across his chest. His stomach had very few freckles and was a milky white color in the moonlight with a trail of light hair starting below his belly button, stemming from it’s point of origin still beneath his pajama pants. Millicent groaned and Theo quickly returned to what he had been doing. His tongue now lightly dancing over her nipple before sucking it hard and repeating the motion. Millicent wondered briefly, if any of the few single dates he had gone to over the years had lead to this. She shook that thought from her head, he was 28 and even she had fallen into bed with a date before.</p><p>Millicent reached down to his pajama pants but wasn’t sure how far they should go tonight. They should take this slow. Their friendship had developed slowly and this, well whatever it was, had taken years to get to this point. She would savor it. Tomorrow they could discuss the relationship side of things.</p><p>Her hand reached over his bulge and she could feel Theo’s hard length against her hand. She took a breath as he moaned and she began to rub her hand back and forth over the fabric. </p><p>“Millicent… you don’t have to…” he gasped between moans as he twisted onto his back next to her.</p><p>“I want to. Let’s not have sex but just tell me if you want me to stop touching you or if I go too far, okay?” Millicent said without stopping.</p><p>He gasped a noise that sounded like a chuckle that had fallen apart halfway out of his mouth.</p><p>“Same with you, okay. Tell me when to stop” he muttered as his hand reached the top of her shorts. It hesitated there for a second before he reached further down and through the shorts began to rub at her apex. </p><p>They lay there together, moaning and rubbing and squirming and gasping. At some point, Millicent became aware that her wetness had soaked through the shorts and that he felt it. He had groaned so deep and then kissed her fiercely before continuing.</p><p>A few seconds later, Millicent felt something as well as she tipped him over the edge and he came in his pants. She moaned and felt something close to an orgasm rock her.</p><p>They both removed their hands from one another cautiously “Oh my god, Millie… so good” Theo gasped as his face broke out in the most radiant smile she had ever seen.</p><p>“So good” she murmured her face bright  and her body thrumming. Millicent smiled, hoping it would convey all of the amazing things she was feeling and then with a yawn they faced each other. Theo muttered a quick scourgify and they were instantly clean. </p><p>He reached out and grabbed her hand "Night" he whispered, "night" she echoed, and they both fell asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay you guys... I hope that you liked it! I wanted it to be more realistic to their personalities and I just didn't see either of them as ready to fuck right away. I've never actually written a smutty scene before so please let me know if it was okay!  Love to all of you!</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Ch. 11: Another Round of Exploding Snap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ch. 11 Another Round of Exploding Snap</p><p>Millicent turned over and stretched. Her leg kicked out over the bed and tangled with the cool sheets. She sighed in comfort, snuggling into her pillow. It took a few moments to remember that she wasn’t at home and then another moment longer to realize she was alone. </p><p>Millicent sat up and opened her eyes. Theo was nowhere to be seen. She quickly pulled on her dress from the night before as she blushed thinking about what had happened the night before. She could almost feel his soft hands on her as they explored each other's bodies but the messed sheets on the bed reminded her that she was alone. Perhaps the foray into their feelings last night was something he regretted. Millicent felt her heart catch as she realized that she might have been rejected by the person most important to her.</p><p>Gathering her wand, she pushed back a tear. </p><p>“Millie, pancakes are almost ready” Theo said, seeing her facing the nightstand with her wand. </p><p>Millicent turned back towards the door and was met by the sight of Theo in his pajama pants and a sweater. His face was curved into a smile but as he caught sight of Millicent’s expression, he crossed to her with concern.</p><p>“What’s wrong, Millie? Did I do something? I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m so sorry” he repeated looking devastated at causing her tears.</p><p>Millicent looked at him and thought that it was the time to be honest. She couldn’t handle the idea of continuing this conversation without knowing if they were on the same page. </p><p>“Theo, was last night a one night stand?” she whispered. The words floating through the air as if on a tight string where the wrong answer could break the magic of what was and the right answer could reel them together. </p><p>Theo’s breath seemed to catch and he studied her expression. “Do you want it to be?” he said as he looked at the floor some place between them.</p><p>“I don’t want it to be,” Millicent said quietly.</p><p>Theo lifted his eyes to meet hers and she saw the depth of emotion pooled there. “Good…. Me too.  I uh... have wanted to be with you for a long time. A really long time.” he said walking over to her. The morning light cast the most magnificent spotlight on Theo's freckles. Each beauty mark stood out like a scattering of stars against his flushed cheeks and neck. His blush was unrelenting even though they had just laid together in an intimate way the night before.</p><p>His hands reached out and pulled her to him. His eyes twinkled and his mouth curved into a smile as he held her close. His lips slipped down to capture hers. His fingers gliding over her her bedraggled hair. </p><p>“Me too, Theo. Me too” Millicent spoke against his lips. With a hazy grin he pulled back and stared at her with an intense look. He looked as though he was ready to say something but couldn't find the right words. Millicent waited and noticed the air looked hazy. No, it looked slightly smokey. </p><p>The smell of something burning wafted from the kitchen. </p><p>“The pancakes!” Theo yelled. Together they ran to the kitchen and moved an angry looking pancake from a pan on the stove top. It had been the last pancake and three beautifully brown pancakes sat stacked on a green plate next to the oven.</p><p>Millicent used the wand in her hand to send a stream of water over the burnt pancake causing steam to rise around them.</p><p>Fire averted, Millicent reached over and kissed Theo’s cheek with a smile.</p><p>“Tomorrow, I will need to start planning a funeral and next week is Blaise’s wedding. When it rains it pours” Theo said looking overwhelmed.</p><p>“It’s okay, we will take it a day at a time. We have a long time for dates. You are more than just my best friend, I want to be by your side as long as you want” Millicent said before she could chicken out.</p><p>“I will always want you by my side” Theo said, his face pink and his eyes darkening. He must have thought he said too much as he moved his eyes to the counter top and his blush deepened as he bit his lip.</p><p>Millicent pulled a stack of exploding snap off the counter and sat down on the floor, pulling down the plate of pancakes and setting it on the floor with two forks and a jar of syrup.</p><p>Theo crooked a smile and laughed sitting down in front of her.</p><p>“My Deal?” Millicent asked her heart warm and her soul at peace. </p><p>“Yes, Millie. You can always have the first deal”. Theo responded kissing her hand.</p><p>And they played exploding snap because that's what they did. The cards passed back and forth between their hands and they let the cards remind them of their past as they dreamed of a future.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for taking the time to read this! You mean a lot to me. I hope that it brought you some joy. Check out my new WIP "Searching for Constellations" or my completed work "Raising Clara Lestrange" if you would like to read more.</p>
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